Baby Steps
by Lemondropx
Summary: Ever wondered how Ron's emotional range coped with the birth of little Rose? Well let's just say, he took the process in Baby Steps.
1. Congratulations

"I can't wait to see his reaction!" squealed Ginny as she clapped her hands excitedly and bounced from side to side. Her fiery, red hair danced around her shoulders and her eyes sparkled with excitement.

"Calm down Ginny, you're like James_,_ Teddy _and _Victoire on a sugar-rush right now! Seriously please, I don't want you to give it away!" begged Hermione as she leaned against the kitchen counter in the kitchen of The Burrow. Her feet were really killing her in these heels.

It was New Years Eve, and as was tradition, everyone was gathered at The Burrow for the annual party.

"Come on Hermione! Have a Fire Whiskey!" George called to her as he walked into the kitchen and procured a large bottle from the fridge and waved it in Hermione's face.

"I'm alright George, but thanks" she replied with a chuckle and brushed his hand aside.

"Oh go on, in just over twenty minutes it's going to be a brand new year! That's something to celebrate!" he insisted as he began pouring her a glass and offered it to her.

"George, really I'm fine I-"

"Oh come on, even though your p –"

"Shhhh he'll hear you!" Hermione said in a rush, cutting her favorite brother-in-law (next to Harry of course) off mid-sentence before he could blurt out the news and silencing him with a glare.

Seven years after the War, and Ginny and Hermione were still the best of friends. Both of them had been the 'Maid of Honor' at the other's weddings and Hermione had even been made the Godmother of little James. Yes, they were still incredibly close, that much hadn't changed.

But Hermione had found out something yesterday – something exciting and so perfectly amazing – that Ginny had been dying to tell everyone all night. Hermione couldn't help but smile as she turned her head to look out of the kitchen window at the Apple Orchard, remembering how she had found out the news that would change her life forever in the best way possible.

"_Hermione! __**Hermione**__! __**OI**__! __**Earth to Hermione Weasley**__! Pass the __**freaking**__ Quaffle!" yelled Ginny from her broom about twenty feet away._

_Family members had begun arriving that day for the New Years Celebration and planned to stay the night. Considering that everyone had been busy all year and not had much time to see each other, in order to spend some quality time together the boys had thought it be a good idea to have a family game of Quidditch: with Bill, Fleur, Angelina, George and Charlie on one team and Ron, Hermione, Harry, Ginny and Percy on the other._

_In Hermione's opinion, it was quality time alright – quality epic fail time._

_She had never been particularly great on a broom and her hand-eye coordination was rubbish at the best of times, but was especially bad twenty feet in the air as she twisted and turned in between the tree trunks of the Apple Orchard behind the Weasley's house._

_It was surprisingly sunny for a winter's day, and despite the fact that there was a biting chill in the air, Hermione was feeling rather flushed and a little bit sick. _

_Had she eaten something bad over dinner or something? Chances are, probably not. Mrs. Weasley was an excellent cook and it was criminal for Hermione even to consider that something Mrs. Weasley made could make Hermione feel like this._

_The endless possibilities as to what was making Hermione feel this way had been whirring around in her head since she woke up a few hours ago and it was safe to say that it was distracting her from the game._

_Something that really annoyed Ginny._

"_Calm down love, she's never really played Quidditch before" Harry said soothingly as he took a break from trying to catch the Snitch and flew alongside his wife._

_He loved Ginny to pieces, he really did. She was the sunshine in his life and the greatest gift anybody could ever have given him, next to their son James who had been born about 2 years ago (and who was sitting on the grass clapping and cheering on his parents, uncles and aunties)._

_But there was no denying that Ginny was fiercely competitive. And when Ginny Potter got competitive she unleashed the short-tempered, angry, miniature version of Mrs. Weasley side of her personality – consequently scaring every one around her._

"_I know! It's brilliant isn't it?" goaded George from his position over by his teams make-shift goalposts with his Beaters Bat in hand, "we're winning 4-1 over here!" he cheered and waved his bat around in the air as though it were a celebratory flag._

"_Ye, with Chasing skills like that Hermione you could easily get on to the Holyhead Harpies!" Angelina joined her husband in teasing both Hermione and her sister-in-law who turned her broom in the air to glare back at Angelina._

"_Don't you dare go insulting my Quidditch Team!" screeched Ginny, causing Angelina to smirk mischievously. As Captain of the Holyhead Harpies, she was extremely defensive about her team and the mere thought of Hermione playing in one of their matches was downright insulting._

"'_Ermione?" came an enchanting voice from the other side of Hermione. She turned on her broom to see Fleur hovering alongside her – her hair blowing in the gentle breeze and her heart-shaped face full of concern. "Are 'ou alright?"_

_Hermione placed a hand to her head and closed her eyes. She was starting to feel a bit dizzy and gripped her broom tighter out of fear of falling off._

"_No I don't think so. I- I think I might take a break for a while…" she said in a weak voice and began to slowly descend to the ground._

"_Hermione? What's up? Why are you- HERMIONE!" Ron was curious as to why his wife was descending to the ground in the middle of the game. Ye, she wasn't the best Quidditch Player he'd ever come across, but surely she wasn't that insecure about her flying skills!_

_He had been about to ask her why she was stopping when her feet touched the ground and her legs gave out underneath her._

_Ron didn't waste any time in landing as quickly as possible and sprinting over to his wife. _

_When he reached her he realized that her cheeks were flushed and he took her head gently into his arms and cradled it in his lap as he tucked a few of her glossy curls behind her ear._

_She opened her eyes at the warmth of his familiar touch, but as much as she wanted to, she couldn't smile up at him. _

"_Hermione, what's wrong? Do you want me to go and get Mum?" he asked frantically as he stroked her cheek with the pad of his thumb. _

_Her eyes flitted around her and she took in the worried faces of her in-laws. She knew that Mrs. Weasley was terrific with Healing spells and Potions – she __**did**__ have to deal with Fred and George as toddlers after all – but she didn't want to ask for help. Hermione never felt like this, and she certainly didn't go around fainting and as silly as it was, she was too proud to ask for help. Also, she didn't want to draw anymore attention to herself than she already had._

"_N-No, it's fine sweetheart. Really I'm ok" she told her husband in response to his skeptical frown. She placed a hand on the snow underneath her and pushed herself into a sitting position. "I think I just need to lie down, these past few weeks have just been really hectic. I think a nice nap is just what I-" suddenly Hermione felt a painful knot in her stomach and the bile at the back of her throat began to gargle and rise. _

_She clasped a hand over her mouth and took off running into the house, trying to make it to the bathroom on time._

"_It's me, can I come in?"_

_Hermione heard Ginny's voice from the other side of the bathroom door and with a sigh, flicked her wand at the lock. Her soft pink lips curved into a shy smile when she heard the lock unclick and Ginny poked her head around the door._

"_Hey" she greeted as she stepped inside and closed the door behind her. "Are you ok? That was quite a fright you gave us all out there" Ginny remarked as she leaned against the edge of the claw-foot bathtub. The bathroom wasn't huge, but it wasn't cramped either. It was big enough to accommodate two people in the box-like room._

_Right now, the afternoon sun was streaming through the small window above the white porcelain toilet. It's light glinted off of the powder blue walls and reflected off the many cream-colored accents that filled the room – making it very bright and give a fresh feel to the space._

_Hermione was leaning against the wooden vanity across from the bath-tub. Her eyes kept moving between the vase of white roses on the countertop and her wand which was balanced precariously on the edge of the sink._

"_I'm fine" Hermione assured her friend with a smile when something out of the corner of her eye made her turn and smile. Small golden sparks began to erupt from the tip of her wand and Ginny looked at her friend curiously as she reached her hand over slowly and examined the wand in her hands._

_Hermione's face broke out into a breath taking smile and she looked up at her friend through her veil of chocolate brown curls and said "I'm better than fine actually"._

_This definitely caused Ginny's interest to spike, but before she could ask what Hermione had meant, she handed her the wand._

_Ginny took it and her forehead furrowed into a frown as she concentrated on reading the golden cursive writing along the side of the wand. Her breath caught in her throat and her large blue eyes practically popped out of her head._

"_Congratulations, you are now four weeks pregnant. For more information please consult your local Healer"_

"_Y-you're pregnant? Hermione that's amazing congratulations!" Ginny gushed as she threw herself off of the edge of the bathtub and into Hermione's arms. _

_Hermione chuckled and embraced her friend back, still coming to terms with the fact that she was going to be a mother._

"_But how? When?" Ginny asked excitedly as she pulled away and began bouncing up and down like a toddler on Christmas Day._

"_Well we weren't __**trying**__ to get pregnant, but it's not like we were doing anything to prevent it either…" Hermione admitted as a blush crept onto her cheeks._

"_Ok, spare me the details" Ginny joked. She handed Hermione back her wand and enveloped her in another hug, smiling from ear-to-ear. "I'm so happy for you Hermione! And Ron too! Oh Merlin, my brother is __**actually**__ going to be a Dad! Oh but think about the fun we're going to have! James and Victoire are going to have a new cousin! Oh I know __**just**__ what to get her for her first birthday!" she gushed at a 100 miles per hour._

_Hermione couldn't help but laugh at her sister-in-law. Here she was, still trying to wrap her head around this amazing news and here __**Ginny**__ was, already planning out the future._

"_Wow take it easy there Gin, I still have to tell Ron! And what makes you so sure the little bundle of joy is going to be a girl?" she asked as she gave an amused crooked smile and patted her flat tummy._

_Ginny shrugged casually and smiled back._

"_When you know, you know. I was right about Teddy being a boy, I was easily able to predict that Victoire would be a girl and don't even get me started on James. The way he kept on kicking and squirming around, how could he not be a boy? And how are you going to tell Ron?" there seemed to be no end to Ginny's excitement, and at this question, Hermione began to get excited too._

_This was her and Ron's first child, she knew how important this was and she wanted him to find out in the most special way possible._

_A playful smirk began to play at the corners of her lips and she offered her arm to Ginny whilst flicking her wand at the door once more to unlock it. _

"_I think I have an idea, want to help me out?" she asked in a light-hearted tone of voice and grinned widely when Ginny agreed instantly._

_This was going to be good._

"Hermione!"

"What?" Hermione was broken out of her walk down memory lane as a hand was waved in her face and George's smiling face came into focus.

"I said that there's no reason to be so hush-hush about it. Even if Ron _did_ hear us, we'd practically have to spell it out for him" George chuckled to himself as he took another swig out of the bottle in his hand.

"We wouldn't! My husband is perfectly intelligent enough to realize the hints we've planned for him" Hermione retorted, placing a hand on her hip and cocking an eyebrow at her brother-in-law. Hermione had only wanted one way of telling Ron, but everyone else had insisted that she have a few back-up plans in the almost guaranteed eventuality that he didn't get Hermione's way of telling him.

It astounded Hermione how much everyone doubted Ron's common sense.

"Five galleons says that it's the second idea that does it" Ginny said to George, holding out her hand for him to shake and agree to the bet.

"The second one? Pfft, no way. Knowing Ron you'll need to go through about fifty-million ideas before the light bulb goes off in his little head. But seeing as we haven't planned fifty-million ways of telling him, I'm just going to bet on the third one" George replied and took his little sister's hand in his and shook it firmly.

He turned to Hermione and gave her a cheeky smile. "What's your take on this one sis? I assume you believe that he'll get it on the first try?"

"Well of course I am! I don't think it was necessary for me to come up with those back-up plans at all! He will get it, I just know he will a-"

"Who's getting what?" came a familiar voice over the loud music coming from the living and dining room. Hermione stopped talking immediately and turned to see Ron walk through the door, his red hair hanging messily in his deep blue eyes, and breathing heavily from dancing so much.

His face lit up even more when he saw Hermione and he walked over to her and slinked his arms around her waist, from behind pulling her close to his body. Hermione loved it when he did this because he always nuzzled and kissed her neck, meaning that his hair tickled the side of her face.

Ron's lips curved into a smile against Hermione's neck at the sound of her laughter and he kissed her soft skin once more before releasing his grip on her just enough so that she could turn around and look up at him.

Ron had definitely changed since their time together at school. He was still tall, but not as lanky as he had once been. It turns out that Auror training really had it's benefits! Ron was in the best shape he had been in in years and it was all thanks to the grueling training that he and Harry had had to endure to become Aurors after the War. He now sported a terrific set of muscles, his shoulders had widened and the black grey collared shirt he was wearing definitely show-cased his toned biceps. Hermione couldn't resist caressing them slightly before moving her hands up over his shoulders to lock her wrists behind his neck.

As she gazed up into his eyes – his beautiful deep blue eyes – she realized that if she could, she would gaze into them forever. They were truly the kind of eyes that a person could get lost in and as she admired the sparkle within them and the tiny flecks of grey that circled his iris, she found herself swaying from side to side slightly as she was lulled into peace and serenity.

"Love? Are you ok?" he asked, breaking her out of her moment of bliss.

"I'm alright" she told him in a gentle voice as she giggled to herself. Did he really not know the effect he had on her? She reached up on her tiptoes and planted a sweet kiss on his lips, letting her eyes flutter close. She pulled away all too soon for his liking and tried to suppress her smug grin when she noticed that he still had his eyes closed and was leaning into her.

"Actually I'm better than alright" she told him with a coy smile as she looked over her shoulder and winked at Ginny and George – who were both leaning against the counter, anxious to see the result of their bet.

"Are you sure? Because if you're feeling ill I can ask M-"

"Shhh" she silenced him by placing a finger on his lips. "I'm fine sweetheart, honestly. But could you do me a favour?" she asked innocently, pouting to add to the effect.

"Anything" he replied instantly. He loved it when she asked him to do things, it made him feel like she needed him and he adored that feeling more than anything else. He wanted to be the one that Hermione could depend on for anything. Well, except to read 'Hogwarts, A History'. That was never going to happen.

"Well I was wondering if you could run upstairs and get me my jumper? I don't want to be cold when we go out to watch the fireworks. It's in the bottom drawer on the right hand side?" she asked as she pressed her lips together in an attempt to stop her from grinning.

"Sure thing, I'll be right back" he told her and pecked her once more on the cheek before turning on his heel and pushing through the crowd to get upstairs.

Ron, Hermione, Ginny and Harry had already been here for over a week as they had spent Christmas with Mr. and Mrs. Weasley.

Upon arriving here over a week ago, Ron had insisted that he and Hermione stay in his old room. Even though they had been married for a little over 6 months, Mrs. Weasley still thought of them as the sixteen-year olds they had once been and was still getting used to the idea of them sleeping in the same room, never mind the same _bed_.

"Hey, where's Ron off to?" came another familiar voice and this time it was Ginny who crossed the room and enveloped her husband of two and a half years into an intimate embrace.

"Daddy dearest is off to discover if he actually has enough common sense to figure out what Hermione's trying to tell him" she said nonchalantly as she brushed her husbands messy hair out of his emerald-green eyes.

Harry smirked and wrapped his arms around his wife's waist.

"Well you see the funny thing there, is that 'common sense' isn't actually _that_ common. Especially when it comes to Ron" joked Harry, before he bowed his head and his lips came crashing down on Ginnys.

"Oi! My husband doesn't lack common sense!"

Harry and Ginny broke apart at the sound of Hermione's protests and Ginny turned around and leaned back into Harry's body.

"Oh come on 'Mione, you have to admit he's not the fastest broom in the cupboard" Harry said with a little pout of his own, failing to sound contrite.

"No I don't! I-"

"Mama! Dada! Harmony! Fi-oo-wooks!" James squealed excitedly as he toddled into the kitchen. He had recently just learned to walk and insisted on doing so everywhere, being very proud of his latest accomplishment.

"Fireworks? Well let's go and see then shall we?" Ginny asked in an over-the-top excited voice, smiling when it had the effect she desired and her little boy started clapping and giggling.

"You know I love you don't you?" Harry asked his wife before kissing her on the cheek and scooping his son into his arms. He was so lucky he had such an amazing family.

"Harmony! Harmony!" the little boy wriggled around in his Dad's arms to look at his Aunt Hermione. She couldn't help but smile when ever he said her name like that. "Come!" he called to her as his eyebrows furrowed together and his little forehead wrinkled as he frowned. He waved his hands in the air as he motioned for his Auntie to go with them.

"I will in a second sweetie, I'm just waiting for Uncle R-"

"Is this the one you were on about Hermione? I think this might be yours Ginny. You'll never guess what happened Hermione, I opened up the drawer you said and it was filled with baby stuff! Can you believe it? Ginny, I think Mum put your old stuff in there…I didn't know you supported the Chudley Cannons" he said, sounding rather confused as he re-entered the room carrying a baby Chudley Cannons jumper.

Everyone gaped at Ron, completely speechless – well except James who was giggling at his Mum and Dad's open-mouthed expressions.

"…Are you serious?" Hermione asked in a dazed voice. Was this actually happening? She and Ginny had spent hours the day before in Diagon Alley buying a whole wardrobe of baby clothes to plant in that drawer for Ron to find! He had always said that the first piece of clothing he wanted their child to wear was a Chudley Cannons jumper…was he honestly not getting it?

"Ye, weird huh? Oh well, here you are anyway-" he held it out infront of him and with a wave of his wand, he charmed it to be at least ten sizes larger and handed it to Hermione "-all set to watch some fireworks then?" he asked perkily.

Hermione vaguely remembered taking the jumper from Ron and sliding it over her head, but truth be told, she was too shocked to really remember anything apart from the obvious lack of intelligence on her husbands behalf.

Ron took a look at everyone's faces, and after asking "what?" and receiving no answer, he shrugged his shoulders and took James from his stunned father's arms and departed from the room.

Once he had disappeared into the back garden, the silence was broken by George's incredulous voice.

"Has someone Confunded the muppet or is he actually that thick?"

"I think Mum must have dropped him on his head as a baby…" Ginny said, in a voice as disbelieving as Georges. She felt Harry shaking behind her and turned around quickly, expecting something bad, but instead was shocked to find him buckling over with laughter.

"D-dropped him? F-f-from wh-where? The Astrono-Astro-Astronomy Tower?" he managed to cry inbetween loud guffaws as he clutched his sides.

He promptly received a smack over the head from his wife before she too realized the comedy of the situation and burst out laughing too.

"This is not funny! It's concerning to see somebody as oblivious as that!" she cried as she threw her hands in the air out of frustration.

"F-Fair play to him! Th-That's p-pretty specialist right there" George stammered inbetween hearty chuckles as he wiped a tear from his cheek and gasped for air.

Hermione stamped her foot on the ground. So far, this wasn't exactly going the way she had planned it to. With her jaw clenched and her hands balled up into determined fists she said "Ginny, get the cake" through clenched teeth and made a dramatic exit through the back door to the garden.

The cold wind whipped around Hermione, causing her curls that had been neatly pinned to the side in an elegant pony tail to fly around her hair.

In hindsight it probably wasn't the smartest thing to wear a knee-length, strapless, black dress with lipstick-red, wedged platform heels at the end of December – but Hermione didn't care. This was a special night for Ron and Hermione and she wanted to look her best.

She scanned the garden with her eyes before walking any further. It looked incredible. The ground was covered in a blanket of fluffy snow and Hermione could see Teddy and Victoire's snowman and woman in the distance under the bare Apple trees. Hermione found it sweet how well the pair got along, they were always together and even let James tag along too even though Teddy was five and Victoire was four.

Paper lanterns of every colour hung from the bare branches of the trees that were scattered throughout the garden. Where there were no lanterns, there were countless fairy lights that bathed the garden in a warm and inviting glow. Under the trees were several round tables with silver table cloths and little candles in the centre.

But the most amazing thing about feature about the garden was not the lights or the pretty tables, or even the fact that it was filled with people! No, it was the Memory Orbs that floated throughout the night sky above the heads of the guests.

Upon their arrival, each guest was given a Memory Orb, similar to a Rememberall in appearance but serving an entirely different purpose. Guests were asked to duplicate their favourite memories throughout the year and place them in the little balls – allowing their memories to be played as if being in a Pensieve, for everyone to see. It added a sentimental touch to the night's festivities, reminding everyone that they were here to celebrate the end of another year and the start of new one in the hopes of making many more wonderful memories.

Hermione found hers almost immediately and smiled when she spotted a familiar head of red hair standing underneath it. She tottered her way through the snow, trying not to fall and was thankful when she reached Ron and snuggled into his side.

"Hey you" he greeted her with a smile as he kissed the top of her head and pulled her closer.

Hermione looked up at her Memory Ball and a lump formed in her throat as her very best memories of the year were replayed before her.

Walking down the aisle.

Being pronounced 'Mrs. Weasley' by Kingsley Shacklebolt – the Minister of Magic who had insisted upon conducting the ceremony as a wedding gift two of the members of the famous Golden Trio.

Kissing Ron that day under the canopy of floating Rose petals.

Dancing with him and her new family at the reception.

Then there were the sweeter memories from throughout the year.

Reading 'Romeo and Juliet' aloud whilst curled up in Ron's lap infront of the fire in their cottage on a rainy day.

Getting bored of reading – for once in her life – and having Ron grab her by the hand to take her dancing the rain.

Waking up to find a trail of red roses leading from their bedroom to the kitchen on her birthday, following them and finding that Ron had made her breakfast with her presents laid on the table before her and a birthday cake that was modeled after 'Hogwarts, A History'.

It was safe to say that Roses were a prominent feature in almost every memory. She had roses in her wedding bouquet. There were cream Rose petals in Hermione's hair on her Wedding day. They were married under a canopy of red rose petals that fell around them when they were announced husband and wife. The rose-shaped earing Hermione wore the day they went dancing in the rain. The rose petal trail on her birthday…they were in every favourite memory she had had the entire year. Roses were her favourite flower, and Hermione hoped that Roses would feature in her life a lot more in the coming years. They were symbols of beauty, passion, wisdom, devotion and timelessness – in short, they symbolized her love for Ron.

"Beautiful isn't it?" she asked as she watched her memories play before her eyes.

Ron looked down at his wife and began stroking her arm with his hand.

"Yes they are, but not as beautiful as you. That's hardly a surprise though, nothing can compare to your level of beauty" he stated affectionately. Hermione's cheeks felt warm and she knew that she was blushing but she couldn't help it. Whenever Ron called her beautiful it warmed her soul and made her heart melt.

She buried herself further into his embrace and reached up to kiss him.

"Speaking of surprises…" she trailed off as she looked over her shoulder to motion for Ginny to come over. She was carrying a cake in her hands and she had a self-assured smirk plastered onto her face as she approached the cuddling couple.

Excitement coursed through Hermione's veins as Ginny got closer and the cake came into view more. It was shaped in the shape of little baby shoes in different shades of pinks and blues with cursive icing writing for shoe-laces that said "Congratulations Daddy Dearest!".

Ron's jaw dropped as he saw the cake and Hermione was just about to reach up and kiss him again when his next words stumped her.

"It's not Dad's birthday is it? Oh Merlin's Beard! If it is then I completely forgot…oh Galloping Gargoyles!" he cried as he grabbed tufts of his hair in-between his fingers and tried his best not to panic.

It was lucky that Ginny had reached the table that they were standing besides, because she dropped the cake when she heard her brother's words.

"Tell me you're joking" she practically begged. Ginny was so not prepared to lose this bet to George, she simply wouldn't allow it.

"No. Why didn't you tell me it was Dad's birthday you numpty? Oh wait – no…Dad's birthday's in February isn't it? Oh praise Merlin! I was panicking for a second there" he breathed a sigh of relief and a soft thankful chuckle escaped his lips.

In the distance Hermione could hear Harry and George's hysteric laughter over by the fireworks and her anger only intensified when Ron took a look at the cake and dragged his finger through the icing and licked it off his finger.

"So what are we celebrating?" he asked as he took a chunk off of the cake and began eating it – strawberry and vanilla sponge cake, his favourite!

Hermione stomped her foot on the ground and let out a shrill cry into the cold night air.

"**GEORGE**! **FIREWORKS**! _**NOW**_!"

George immediately succumbed to her request and with a wave of his wand, launched several Weasley's Wizards Wheezes Fireworks into the starry night sky.

Ron kept eating the cake but his eyes flitted upwards towards the sky and he smiled inbetween mouthfuls of delicious cake as he saw the colours that filled the sky. The countdown to midnight had begun, and with only ten seconds left, large glittering numbers appeared in the sky and the crowd that had gathered outside joined in the countdown.

"TEN!"

"Hey what's that?" Ron asked as he pointed to little messages that began to fill the sky surrounding the numbers.

"NINE!"

The messages read "Congratulations Ron and Hermione", "Best wishes to the proud new parents!", "All the best for the future!" and more.

"EIGHT!"

Ron choked on his mouthful of cake and was glad that James was sitting at his feet, rather than in his arms otherwise he would have dropped him.

"SEVEN!"

Ron's eyes widened at the messages that appeared and then faded into the stares.

"SIX!"

He began to mentally slap himself as he turned to look at his wife, his mouth still hanging open in shock.

"FIVE!"

His eyes boggled even more when they took in the sight of Hermione in the Chudley Canons jumper, and the vague memories of a conversation he had had with Hermione long ago floated through his mind. His eyes darted to the cake, to the messages, and then back to the jumper again.

"FOUR!"

Hermione's memory ball glowed a bright yellow colour above their heads and he looked up just in time to see Hermione's last two favourite memories of the year appear within the spherical ball of glass.

Hermione looking at her wand and reading the message "_Congratulations, you are now four weeks pregnant. For more information please consult your local Healer_" for the first time.

A moving image of Ron from only moments before as he realized what Hermione had been trying to tell him for the last fifteen minutes.

"THREE!"

"Hermione…You're…We're…I'm going to be a Dad?" he asked in a breathless voice as a goofy smile appeared on his face.

"TWO!"

Hermione nodded enthusiastically and flung herself at her husband, wrapping her arms around his neck.

"Took you long enough to figure it out" she teased him in-between kissing him on his neck, chin and mouth.

"ONE!"

Ron captured Hermione's lips with his own in a passionate, meaningful kiss. In this kiss he tried to tell her how happy he was, how excited he was and how truly thankful he was to her for everything she had given him.

Hermione's lips responded under his and her fingers tangled into his hair as she kissed him back with everything she had.

"HAPPY NEW YEARS!"

They broke apart, both breathing heavily and smiling at one another as the countdown ran out and they entered the New Year together.

However, all of this emotion in space of ten second was too much for Ron's emotional range to handle.

Ron's last words before he fainted was "I'm going to be a Daddy" and before Hermione could even roll her eyes, her husband had passed out – lying on the snow underneath the colorful explosions in the sky.

"About Bloody time don't you think?" Harry asked aloud as he wrapped an arm around his wife who held Teddy in her arms while Harry cradled James in his other one.

"I'll say" she replied while shaking her head and laughing at the sight of her brother lying on the ground, still with that patheticly goofy smile on his face.

"Happy New Years Uncle Harry" Teddy told his Godfather. "Happy New Years Aunt Ginny" he said before reaching up and kissing Ginny on the cheek. She smiled down at the little boy in her arms and kissed him back on the forehead.

"Happy New Years Teddy-Bear" she and her husband cooed before kissing eachother briefly and then turning to their own son and wishing him the same.

"Happy New Years you bunch of wonderful numpties!" came a loud, jeering voice from behind the little family.

Ginny looked over her shoulder and instantly wished she hadn't, failing to contain her disheartened groan.

"That'll be five Galleons little Sis!" he demanded playfully as he ruffled her hair and shook hands with Harry before calling his own wife over to look at his idiot brother passed out on the snow.

In that moment everyone was thinking the same thing: Ron was going to have to take this in Baby Steps.


	2. Surprises

"Ah peace and quiet, I miss being able to do this Gin" Hermione sighed happily as she took a sip of her Cherry syrup and soda drink.

Ginny took a casual sip of her drink as she leaned back in her chair and smiled amusedly at her friend.

"You can hardly call the Three Broomsticks 'peaceful' Hermione, especially on a Saturday night" Ginny remarked as she looked around the crowded bar. Every inch of the warm space was occupied. Witches and wizards flogged to the bar, people leaned against the walls with drinks in hands, the seating space around the tables was rather cramped as people transfigured chairs to join their friends at already-full tables.

Ginny and Hermione had been lucky that they had gotten this booth under one of the tall, arched windows. They had the perfect view of the street outside, also bustling with people as they tried to escape the cold September rain that drizzled down from the sky.

"Trust me Gin – compared to the past nine months _I've_ had to endure, anything is peaceful" Hermione replied as she admired the way the raindrops hit the window pane and trickled down the glass in wavy lines.

"Oh come off it Hermione, it hasn't been that bad" her friend scoffed with a roll of her eyes as she took another sip of her drink. She found that she quite liked it, enjoying the way the warm cherry syrup glided smoothly down her throat. Even though it wasn't alcoholic, she would definitely have it again.

Hermione cocked an eyebrow, somewhat disbelievingly at her favourite sister-in-law. Had someone obliviated the last 9 months from her mind?

"Wanna bet?" she challenged as she took in the skeptical smirk on Ginny's face.

The past nine months, as glorious and wonderful as they had been, had also been the most hectic and frustrating of Hermione's entire life.

It had happened – the unthinkable.

Hermione had finally gotten her wish.

Ron had started reading.

Unfortunately for her, it was not 'Hogwarts, A History' as she had so desired.

No. Instead, it was Baby books. No, it is not a typo – Ronald Billius Weasley was reading Baby books, and a lot of them.

On New Years Day, the proud new father had announced he was going out shopping. That was odd enough, but what was exceedingly peculiar was that nobody had forced him into doing it. He had simply woken up that morning, determined to go on a shopping spree to Flourish and Blotts, and buy _every single_ Baby book in sight.

He had bought everything from, 'What To Expect When You're Expecting' to 'How To Prepare For Magical Days Ahead'.

Hermione had to admit that when the doting Father returned to The Burrow, his arms laden with copious bags of books on the topic of babies, that she found it incredibly cute. Adorable even.

Not once had she, or anyone else for that matter, ever expected Ron to be _this_ excited about the upcoming birth of his first child. Nor had they expected that he would dedicate a whole wall in his and Hermione's study/library in their countryside-cottage to the books he had bought.

Hermione hadn't minded at all. Upon buying the cottage over a year ago, she had worked her magic – quite literally – on the entire house, transforming every wall of their study into built-in bookcases, giving Ron plenty of space to put his new possessions.

Hermione also hadn't minded at all when he had picked up the first baby book upon returning home later that week and reading by the fireplace. After all those years of nagging at him to pick up a book, lecturing him that he had to broaden his mind through SOME kind of literature – besides Quidditch magazines - she didn't have to nag or lecture him at all.

He would sit by the fireplace quite content, reading away, his eyes widening upon reading a certain part of the books and even taking notes on important facts he had learned. It was quite amusing to see.

And Hermione definitely hadn't minded when he had started helping more around the house, in fact she welcomed it with open arms! Having practically grown up with Ronald, Hermione knew just how much of a slob he could be – leaving dirty dishes in the sink, piles of clothes on the bedroom floor, cushions scattered all over the living room whenever he flopped onto the sofa after a long day at work.

Recently, Ron had taken to doing everything possibly could to lighten the burden on Hermione's pregnant shoulders.

He cleaned the dishes after every meal, even making dinner himself four nights a week and taking Hermione out the other three nights for romantic meals. He picked up his clothes on the floor and washed them, before folding them neatly and placing them back in the drawers in their bedroom. He had also taken to putting Hermione to bed at night and making sure she was comfortable before checking everything was ok with the house and that it was tidy before climbing into bed beside her and humming lullabies to her belly whilst she fell asleep.

No, Hermione had not minded any of that. That was until he started doing things in excess.

She _had_ minded when he started reading up to six books a week – reading them at work in-between hexing people on Auror missions, at dinner with Hermione in their house or at a classy restaurant and announcing a new fact he had learned and even at Ginny's Quidditch games! Nobody had thought they'd see the day when reading became more of a priority than Quidditch for Ron, but it had happened! How could Ron forget? She'd purposefully steal the Quaffle from her team-mates just to throw it at Ron in the stands, never failing to hit him in the head with a deadly accurate aim.

Ron had even taken to using Hermione's beaded bag while shopping for new books, his excuse being that it would help him take more home with him. As much as Hermione loved books, this didn't comfort her in the slightest.

The _last_ thing Ron needed was more books to read, and she'd rather he didn't use her special beaded bag! It had helped them so much and she had grown so attached to it during the war that the thought of it being used as a 'shopping bag' made her blood boil with anger.

She had _also_ minded when Ron wouldn't let her do anything in the house anymore. Merlin forbid that Hermione lift even a single slender finger with the intention of doing a bit of dusting, or rearrange the cushions in the living room and Ron would go **nuts**.

Hermione felt like such a fragile, spoilt little child! Did he really think her _that_ fragile in her pregnant state that he had to baby her? Had he not seen her curse several Death Eaters during the war or punch Draco Malfoy in the nose? He had even started running her baths for her at night!

Most days Hermione was thankful for the time that her husband was at work, meaning that she could do things for her self without having to worry about Ron going batshit crazy at the thought of her cooking herself up something for lunch, or even walking down the country lane and taking a stroll through the rolling hills during the afternoons.

That was another thing that bothered Hermione. Ron had practically confined her to the house, having become paranoid from reading so many baby books.

Apparently the list of things a woman couldn't do whilst being pregnant was endless, as Hermione had been subjected to listening to Ron ramble off all of the facts for the past nine months.

Don't eat Sushi.

Don't drink coffee.

Don't go near cat litter – something that was exceedingly hard seeing as Crookshanks still strutted around the house as though he owned it.

Don't fly a broomstick.

Don't apparate.

Don't get stressed.

Don't do a lot of physical activity.

Don't drink alcohol – which Hermione already knew, but Ron felt the need to remind her every time they went out for a meal or attended a party.

After reading all of these books, the possible scenarios that could jeopardize the health of Hermione and the baby had began to eat away at Ron's little brain. As a result, he only allowed Hermione to leave the house when someone was with her to make sure she was ok.

Merlin forbid Ron ever found out about all of the times she had snuck out of the house to go and see Ginny's team practicing at the stadium – a Bludger just might _magically_ fall from the sky and knock Hermione unconscious.

It was safe to say that Ron had been slightly pedantic these past nine months, and although the purpose of all of this was to make Hermione's pregnancy as smooth and as enjoyable as possible – it was doing the complete opposite.

Hermione had almost hexed Ron's Chudley Canons socks off when he had told her that _he_ would be designing the Baby's room and not Hermione. Accroding to '101 Things Not To Do Whilst Pregnant', avoiding paint fumes and strenuous labor was one of them.

Hence, Hermione had yet to see what Ron had done with the room upstairs that he had been converting for the past five months. It's not like she hadn't tried begging to see it – _she_ was the one carrying the baby after all. Ron had simply refused, saying that he had to get everything perfect before she and the baby laid eyes on it.

She had thought it best not to mention that the Baby couldn't even see what was going on. The last thing she needed to do was hear Ron's long-winded lectures about how Baby's know everything that's going on even before they're born - a lot of rubbish in Hermione's opinion but she had humoured him and kept her distance from the room.

"Yes I would actually" Ginny replied with a smirk and she leaned back in her chair and folded her hands over her belly. "The books was one thing, but I doubt that my brother is actually being as attentive as you say he's been. It's so…_un-_Ron-like" she insisted with a shake of her head.

"There's being 'attentive' and then there's being ridiculous Gin. You're brother had taken the latter to a _whole_ new level" Hermione replied rather dully, yet with an amused smirk. "You're so lucky that Harry has never been one for reading, you've definitely had the better pregnancy" she commented as she nodded towards Ginny's bulging Belly under her thick purple sweater.

Ginny followed Hermione's line of sight and smiled down at her tummy and patting it affectionately.

"I wouldn't say that, the Harpies haven't had the most amazing season since I've been on Maternity leave – despite the fact that I've still gone to every practice and coached them from the ground" she frowned as she lifted her head to look at her best friend. "Also we haven't decided on a name for the little tyke yet. I want Alice, but Harry wants Lily. I suggested Alice-Lily, but Harry says it sounds like something from 'Alice in Wonderland'…whatever that is" she fnished with a confused expression.

It amused Hermione how Ginny always failed to pick up on her husbands Muggle references.

Ginny had found out only two days after Hermione that she and Harry would be expecting their second child. As thrilled as they were, nobody could be more excited than little James who couldn't stop helping his Mum buy all of the little girls toys for the baby.

"What makes you so sure the kid's going to be a girl? I bet two sickles it's a boy" Hermione challenged with a smirk which only grew wider at Ginny's startled reaction.

"I'll rise to that challenge! What do you mean '_what makes you so sure_'? Am I ever wrong about this kind of thing? All I can say, is that it had better be a girl, otherwise the boy is going to be sleeping in a pink room for the first few months of his life" she joked. "I can't believe she's coming in just over a week!" she gushed excitedly, her smile back on her face and her eyes alight with happiness.

"Just over a week? Then that means – that means mines is today! Oh Merlin's scraggly beard, I'd better get home before Ron does! He'll throw a fit if he thinks I've been out – especially today!" Hermione slid out of the booth and rose quickly, yet carefully, finishing her drink in one swift gulp and turning on her heel as she pulled her clock tighter around her.

Before she reached the door, she turned back to look at Ginny who was shaking her head at her best friend with a disbelieving smirk and called "Don't mention this to Harry ye? If Ron finds out I'-"

"Ye, ye, he'll go batshit crazy, I know, I know" she assured Hermione while motioning towards the door for Hermione to leave.

Hermione gladly obliged, determined to get home before Ron noticed she had been out for the entire day in Hogsmeade.

She knew that she shouldn't Apparate, and flying was definitely out of the question, so she waddled as quickly as her round tummy would allow to the Floo Station at the end of the street.

When Hermione stepped out of her fireplace and into the dimly light Living Room, the first thing she noticed was the cold.

It was freezing.

The gold curtains were swaying from side to side, as a harsh breeze swept through the open bay windows on the left wall and filled the room. Hermione was proud of decorating she had done through-out the house, especially the living room.

Although the box-like room was small, Hermione had managed to make it feel rather warm and inviting. The bottom half of the walls were covered in white paneling which complimented the soft-daffodil yellow paint that covered the top half. It drew attention to the beautiful crown molding that lined the top of the walls and the matching white baseboard.

The two love-seat couches that sat on opposite sides of the fireplace were in the same golds and yellows, with matching embroidered cushions to match the curtains and the paint colour.

For some reason the small golden chandelier that hung from the ceiling was off, and instead, candles had been lit on the coffee-table in-between the couches. The room was spotless, as usual, but even with the warm glow of the fireplace the room was still freezing and Hermione sighed irritably as the candles were snuffed out by the gusts of wind.

She stomped across the warm hardwood floor towards the windows and pulled them close with a bang, only to turn around and stub her toe hard on the leg of the end-table inbetween the winged back arm chair and the couch.

"AH" she gasped as she sharply intook air through her gritted teeth. "Unicorn turds, cauldron bums, son of a Banshee, Dobby's soc-"

"Hermione? Hermione, love is that you?"

Hermione's cursing was interrupted by Ron's voice from out in the narrow hallway and she limped through the darkness towards the door, grabbing hold of the walls and furniture to support her as she went.

To her dismay, the windows in the hallway were also open and she could see from where she was standing that the windows above the sink in the kitchen were also open at the end of the hall.

"RON!"

"Hermione!" he appeared, slightly breathless at the top of the stairs, which he came barreling down to stand directly in front of her. "I've missed you! Where have you been? I was so worried!" he exclaimed as he enveloped her into a bone-crushing hug, being mindful of not pressing against her belly too much for fear of crushing the Baby.

Hermione frowned against her husbands shoulder as he began planting kisses on top of her wet curls, and she pulled back from him.

"Ronald, would you care to explain to me why all of the windows in the house appear to be open?" she asked with a hand on her hip as she pointed towards the open windows behind her.

"Well one of the books said to keep your body temperature nice and cool, so they said open some windows" he replied matter-of-factly, not understanding why she was so moody.

"Yes Ronald, open _some_ windows. Not "open up every single window in the flipping house and turn it into an ice-box"! I'm freezing!" she complained as she wrapped her arms around herself and pouted angrily at her husband.

"Well sor_ry_" he snapped back, somewhat irritatedly. He was only trying to help. "I didn't mean to make the house that cold, but fine then I'll close them. Where have you been anyway? I've been back for about three hours" he said in a dejected sort of voice as he flicked his wand and all of the windows shut themselves.

The house started to feel warmer already, and in her relief, Hermione stupidly told the truth.

"I was just at the Three Broomsticks with Ginny" she said casually, and then widened her eyes when she realized what she'd said.

"What? The Thr-" Ron's face turned bright red and he had to take a calming breath before continuing. "Hermione, why would you do that? You know what the baby books say! No drinking alcohol or going anywhere near smoke!" he cried as he threw his hands in the air out of frustration.

Had she not been listening to a word he'd been saying for the past nine months?

Hermione's eyes turned into thin slits and she glared at him with a look that could rival that of Voldemort himself – causing Ron to take a step back.

"I don't _care_ was the baby books say! I'm sick of the baby books Ron! I've been confined to this house for the past Merlin-knows-how-long! I had to get out and do _something_…you should be able to trust me to go to a bar with your sister and not drink…I'm not that stupid" she had been angry for the first half of her little rant, but by the end she was mumbling and angry tears were welling up in her eyes.

When Ron saw her bottom lip trembling, and how her clenched fists relaxed as they moved to rub her belly soothingly to calm herself down, guilt hit Ron like a pack of galloping Hippogriffs.

All he had been trying to do for the past nine months was make her life easier by reading the baby books so he could look after, but it was only now that he was realizing it was having the opposite effect.

Hermione looked down to the ground, not daring to look up and let her husband see that she was close to crying when she felt strong fingers under her chin and her face was tilted upwards.

Ron's eyes were sad and full of regret and he was frowning at his wife as he caressed her cheek and brushed her wet hair behind her ears.

"I'm sorry love, if these past months haven't been the best for you…I only wanted to help and make things better" he told her sincerely. Hermione stayed quiet and let him speak – mostly because the way his breath was brushing her face was making her brain go fuzzy, but also because she felt bad about blowing up at him over something so silly and the guilty lump in her throat wouldn't let her speak.

"I came home early today, because it's a special day…you know what today is?" he asked as he ran the fingers of his right hand over the skin of her belly, gently, but still enough to make shivers run down Hermione's spine at the feel of his touch. She nodded in response and bit her bottom lip as she looked up at him.

"Well I thought I'd make a nice dinner for us, and maybe have a nice romantic, relaxing night" he stated, nodding his head through the open living room doors towards the candles on the coffee-table. "I know you're not stupid" he confessed as he looked back down at her and brushed the pad of his thumb over her lips.

"I'm sorry if I made you feel that way, you're the smartest most beautiful woman in the world, and you deserve to be happy – especially today. Forgive me?" he asked in a hopeful voice as his blue eyes bore into her honey-brown ones.

Hermione looked up at him and nodded, thankful that the lump in her throat was disappearing.

"I forgive you, and I'm sorry too. I shouldn't have been so moody about the whole thing, I know you're just being caring and trying to look after me" she admitted in a small voice. "And I'm sorry I messed up the romantic night you planned for me" she said quietly. She didn't need to speak any louder; they were close enough that he could hear every word.

Ron smiled at her and wiped away a stray tear that had spilled down her cheek with his forefinger.

"Don't apologize love, you have nothing to be sorry for. Even just seeing you smile makes my day, I don't need a big romantic night to be happy when you're around – you do it naturally just by being mine" he told her as she smiled breathtakingly up at him.

In that moment their eyes met, their troubles seemed to melt away. Hermione forgot all about the paranoid and irritating Ron from the past nine months, glad that she had _this_ Ron back – the sweet, calm and caring one she married.

Ron's smile widened when he saw her breathtaking one, and he was so glad that she had wrapped her arms around his shoulders otherwise he'd have to worry about fainting.

He bowed his head as he brushed a few more curls out of her face and nuzzles the tip of his nose against hers affectionately, before planting a passionate kiss on her soft lips.

As their lips moved in time with one another's, they communicated to each other everything they were feeling: their happiness, their love for one another, the excitement that was buzzing through their veins at the fact that this was Hermione's due date.

At this thought, Ron felt a soft nudging as his body pressed up against Hermione's and he broke away suddenly a bit startled before realizing what it was and kneeling down infront of Hermione.

He lifted up Hermione's sweaters, exposing the skin of her smooth belly and smiling at it – admiring the way her skin seemed to glow in the light of the moon coming through the windows.

"Hello baby" he cooed to Hermione's bulge. Hermione ran her fingers through his red hair and the corners of her eyes creased as she smiled down at him, she thought it was so cute when he talked to her tummy like this.

"Are you excited too?" he asked, to which he laughed when he felt more kicking beneath his hand and he stood back up, taking Hermione by the hand.

"I'll take that as a yes then!" he said happily as he noted that this was the happiest he had seen Hermione in weeks. This was the perfect time to show her the surprise he'd been planning since he came home. "Come with me love, I have a surprise for you" he whispered in her ear before kissing her cheek and tugging her hand as he began to lead her up the wooden staircase.

Hermione's heart began to do little flips as he led her up the stairs.

What could her surprise be?

She half expected him to lead her into the bedroom or the small reading room at the top of the landing, but gasped as he turned and led her down the narrow hallway instead – toward the room. The Baby's room.

Hermione put a hand over her mouth in surprise.

She was finally going to see it!

Ron stopped before they reached the door and turned around to face her.

"Close your eyes love" he whispered to her as he took her other hand.

Hermione allowed her eyes to flutter shut, a smile tugging at the corners of her lips and she licked her bottom lip in anticipation.

He smiled when he saw her do that. Even though she was nine months pregnant, she was still beautiful and incredibly sexy and he couldn't help but lean down and kiss her once more.

"Come on" he beckoned once he pulled away, and was satisfied to see that her eyes were still closed.

She let him lead her slowly down the hallway towards the door, and heard him mutter "Alohamora" under his breath and the lock unclick.

As he led her into the room, the light in front of Hermione's closed eyelids made her scrunch them up as Ron pulled her forward a little more and then stopped.

He moved to stand behind her and positioned her perfectly before placing his strong hands on her shoulders and whispering in her ear "Open your eyes Hermione".

She did as he requested, but immediately shut them again as the light was incredibly bright in here.

Slowly, she opened them again and once her vision focused and adjusted to the brightness of her new surroundings, she gasped and her hands flew to her cheeks in surprise.

The room was beautiful, even more so than she could possibly have imagined.

Ron had kept with the colour-scheme of the rest of the house – painting the walls a soft daffodil-yellow to match the living room downstairs.

The floor was the same warm wood that ran throughout the entire house, and Hermione found that it complimented the cream wooden crib on the right wall perfectly.

She gushed with pride as she looked to her left and saw that the entire wall was filled with cream built in bookcases. The shelves were filled with stories – some that she didn't recognize, but others that made her heart swell with happiness: she instantly spotted the Muggle classic 'Cinderella' along with her old copy of 'The Tales of Beedle the Bard'.

"I figured you'd want the baby to grow up with both Muggle _and_ Wizard stories – you didn't think I only went to Flourish and Blotts on those shopping trips did you? That beaded bag was _perfect_ for sneaking the Muggle stories back" he told her with a cheeky wink.

Hermione could only smile back at him and wipe away a sentimental tear as she turned back to take in the rest of the room.

Infront of the bookcases there was a cream embroidered arm chair with a round end table next to it, on which sat a golden candle-stick and a vase of cream roses – Ron knew how much Hermione loved Roses and he hoped the little one would too.

There was a toy box next to the crib and a changing table underneath the bay window, which was framed by cream lacey curtains. On top of the changing table there was an assortment of stuffed toys - ranging from Pygmy Puffs that changed color, to Ron's favorite childhood Teddy bear – Hugo the bear.

"I included both of our favourite things in the room" he explained motioning towards the Roses in the crystal vase on the table. "You have your Roses, and I have my bear. I loved that thing when I was little, hopefully the baby will too" he managed to say past the lump in his throat.

Ron was not one for crying, but standing here with Hermione in the small room, showing her all of the hard work he had put in to making the baby's first room special…he had never come closer to bursting out into happy tears.

Hermione found that happy tears were spilling down her own cheeks and she couldn't help but turn around and throw herself into Ron's arms.

"Ron it's beautiful, the baby will absolutely love it" she told him as she swayed from side to side, burrowing her head into his neck.

Ron smiled, relieved that she liked it and hugged her back as he wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her closer.

"Anything for you two" he said, causing Hermione to look up and beam at him through her tears. That was the first time he had ever referred to her and the baby that way – "You two".

She couldn't resist placing her hand on the back of his neck and pulling his face down to her lips came crashing down on his.

This kiss was more passionate than the one they had shared downstairs, and Hermione found herself tangling her fingers into Ron's hair and pulling him closer.

Ron got caught up in the moment too and without realizing it, began to back Hermione up slowly into the bookcases as his hands traced the contours of her body.

Suddenly Ron's eyes shot up and he practically jumped backwards, gasping for breath.

Hermione groaned as the pressure from Ron's body disappeared and she mentally slapped herself – ofcourse Ron wasn't going to do anything, how could she forget?

"Ron, it's fine-" she began to say, but he cut her off with a frantic wave of his hand.

"No, no Hermione. I felt the baby kick! I don't care if the baby books said it was ok, I'm not doing _anything_ like that until the baby's born – I'm not going to scar the kid for life before it's even taken it's first breath!"

"Ron, it's fine! The baby isn't going to know what's going on!" she insisted. He had been like this for the past few months, refusing to go further than intense snogging and touching for fear of 'traumatizing the child'.

It was at this thought that Hermione felt a strange sensation and she grasped her belly as she looked down.

"Ron I-"

"Nope Hermione, it's not happening, I'm sorry but I simply can't" he said whilst pacing the room as he ran his fingers through his hair.

"_Ron_-"

"Hermione I can't! What if the baby does see something, or it kicks again! Merlin how awkward that would b-"

"RON!"

He stopped his pacing and looked over to see Hermione leaning against the bookcases and her lips pressed into a tight line as she took quick breaths through her nose.

Instinctively, he took a step forward, ready to help her with what ever was wrong when he heard a strange sound beneath his feet and he looked down to see that he was standing in…water?

"Ron, my water's just broke" she said matter-of-factly.

Out of all of the things that the baby books had taught Ron over the past nine months, "Keeping The Father Calm When The Mother Goes Into Labor" was not one of them.

His eyes widened and he began to feel a bit lightheaded.

Oh Merlin, his emotional range was going to be overloaded!

"Ron, Ron listen to me" she snapped her fingers in front of his face to try and get his attention and couldn't suppress her growl when he didn't respond and just kept staring at Hermione's belly.

She gasped and winced as the first contraction hit her and was doubled over with pain.

'Holy Hippogriffs! Ah-this is worse than being Crucio'd' she thought to herself, although she dared not show Ron how much she was hurting. She had to keep him somewhat conscious to help her out, and he'd surely faint if she started screaming in pain.

"_RON_" that got his attention and his frantic eyes found her pain-filled ones and he took a hesitant step forward. "I need you to help me to the fireplace. We have to Floo to St. Mungos _now_. You also need to tell your family – make sure Ginny knows, I need Ginny" Hermione said through quick panting breaths as the pain returned as quickly as it vanished, only this time it was worse.

As if somewhat had shoved a rocket up Rons backside, he jumped into action and began sprinting out of the room towards their bedroom. He grabbed the hospital bag he had already prepared from underneath the bed and took out his 'Call phone?' from his pocket. It was a Muggle device that Hermione had given him in case of emergencies, Ginny and Harry also had one too, as did Molly and Arthur just incase.

He flipped it open and began to fumble with the buttons, trying to remember how to make a call like Hermione showed him ages ago.

He typed in Ginny's number and then was conflicted whether to press the red button or the green button.

'Red button, surely. Gryffindor colours' he rationalized while pressing it and he held it to his ear.

Nothing happened.

He tried again, and again.

Still nothing.

On the fifth call he gave up.

"Stuff this" he said and threw the phone on the bed and pulled his wand out of his robes pocket.

"It's coming! The baby's coming! Everyone to St. Mungos NOW" he bellowed mentally and released his Jack-Russell Patronus from the tip of his wand.

Mesmerized, he watched as it danced through the open window and into the dark sky.

"RON!" he heard Hermione's frantic scream from the baby's room and took of running back down the hallway. Despite the fact that she was heavy, Ron lifted her effortlessly into his arms and took care descending the narrow the stairs.

With his wand, baby bag, and Hermione in hand he stepped into the fireplace whilst grabbing a handful of Floo Powder.

"ST. MUNGO'S MATERNITY WARD!"

The green flames crackled around them and Ron hugged Hermione to his chest as fireplace after fireplace began whizzing past them before their eyes.


	3. Birth

"Ron calm down, every thing's fine!" Ginny called to her brother who pacing the marble tiled floor of the St. Mungos Maternity Ward.

"Fine? Fine? Can you hear those screams Ginny? She's in agony in there!" he retorted. He, Ginny, Harry and baby James were sitting outside the private room he had requested for the birth of their child. It was a lot more comfortable than the regular rooms, and a lot nicer too.

"Well what do you expect it to sound like you Muppet? She's giving birth! Not skipping through a field of bloody daisies" came a condescending voice from the end of the hallway. Everyone could hear the smirk in the voice and sure enough, Ron wheeled around to see George and Angelina walking towards them.

George was dressed in his Weasley Wizard Wheezes magenta robes, whilst Angelina was dressed in a casual pair of dark jeans and a baby pink turtle-neck sweater that went magnificently with her dark skin and long raven locks.

"Shut it" Ron pointed threatened as he pointed an intimidating finger at his brother. "That's my wife in there!"

"Oh don't we know it? Seriously mate, we could hear you from the other side of the building!" George sneered at his brother.

"Ye Ron, could your Patronus have been any louder? I don't think the Leaky Cauldron heard you" Angelina teased him, her voice dripping with sarcasm and a smirk to match her husband's plastered on her face.

"Oh trust me, the Leaky Cauldron heard alright - I was in there with Neville and Dean when I got the message. Oh by the way Ron, Tom the Barman says hi" Harry joked and instantly regretted it when Ron rounded on him, his hands balled up into fists.

"Well can you blame me for being nervous?" Ron bellowed incredulously. How could every one be so calm when Hermione's agonized screams filled their ears and reverberated off the walls?

"Actually yes we can - Harry was the very definition of tranquility when James was born, weren't you sweetie?" she asked her husband with a proud smile, remembering how well Harry had coped with it all.

"Well I'm not gonna lie, I was bricking it the whole time - but one of us had to keep calm" he said with a cheeky smirk as he cradled James to his chest.

"And what is that supposed to mean?" Ginny inquired, ignoring Ron's disbelieving glares at their calmness.

"Oh come on Gin, we both know you were freaking out - Oi!" Harry stood up and dodged his wife's hand as she attempted to swat him over the head. "No abusing me when I'm holding the baby!" he pleaded, holding James out infront of him to make his point.

"Hey, no using the baby as a defense! And I was not freaking out" she insisted as she folded her arms and pouted. Just the thought of Ginerva Weasley freaking out about anything was enough to make everyone laugh, but not Ginny, she hated going to pieces in public.

"Who's freaking out? Is Hermione ok?" came the voice of Mr. Weasley as he and his wife ran down the hall towards their family.

Another one of Hermione's screams filtered through the door and Ron winced, desperate to help - to dosomething.

"Oh dear" Mrs. Weasley gasped as the anguishing sound registered in her ears. "How long has she been like that?"

"Don't worry Molly, the Healer came out five minutes ago and told us she's doing ok. Ron's just a little bit...concerned" Harry explained as he glanced at Ron out of the corner of his eye.

Ron had now gone from pacing backwards and forwards to rocking from side to side, curled up in a ball outside of the door, whispering things like "She's going to be ok, she's going to be fine" over and over again.

"Careful Ron, if you keep that up they might just move your sodding arse to the Spell Damage Ward!" George cautioned and he had to bite his bottom lip to stop himself from bursting out laughing.

"Ye, you might just bump into Gilderoy Lockhart! Doesn't that thought tickle your fancy?" Angelina asked, feigning innocence as George wrapped his arm tighter around her waist and whispered "Oh you're brilliant" in her ear before kissing her cheek and causing her to giggle.

Ron's head snapped up and he couldn't contain his anger any longer. How could everyone be so damn relaxed about this? Everyone looked as cool as a cucumber!

"Get fucked George!" he bellowed at his brother as he uncurled himself a little bit and continued to glare at him menacingly.

"With pleasure! I was actually in the middle of doing that when you're Patronus glided through the living room wall" George replied with a cheeky smirk and his eyes sparkled as he looked at Angelina.

"Children, really please" Mrs. Weasley lectured them, eyeing James who was staring at them all rather confusedly from Harry's arms.

"Ye, don't corrupt my child before he learns his first proper word" Ginny added, wiping her eyes clear of the tears that had filled them from laughing so hard. Hermione screamed again and Ron winced once more. "I think I'm going to - AH" Ginny gasped as the most beautiful sound replaced Hermione's screams.

A baby's cry.

Everyone's reactions were different: James began to clap and giggle. George and Angelina's jaws both hit off of the ground. Mrs. Wealsey gasped at the realization that her daugther-in-law had just given birth to her son's first child and proud tears began to well up in her eyes. Mr. Weasley walked over to Ron and clapped him on the back, congratulating him. Harry and Ginny stood up and congratulated Ron too, genuinely smiling at him.

Ron just stood there, looking as though someone had Petrificus Totalus'd him. He was actually a Dad.

The door creaked open to reveal a kind-faced Healer who smiled at Ron and everyone else.

"Mr. Weasley, if you'd like to come in and meet your new baby girl?" the Healer asked and motioned for Ron to step through the door.

He did so in a daze.

The room was worth ever single penny.

It was large, with shiny marble floors and warm wood panelled walls. Oil lamps hung along the walls, illuminating the room and drawing attention to the large hospital bed to the left. When I say 'hospital bed' I mean it in the most luxurious sense. This wasn't an ordinary hospital bed, instead it was a large double bed with a tall velvet headboard with the St. Mungos logo emblazoned on it in green, blues and golds.

Opposite the bed was a large roaring brick fireplace that cast a warm glow over the beds inhabitants.

Ron's heart melted when he saw her.

Her sleek brown curls were matter to her face as the sweat clung to them, her cheeks were flushed and her eyes shed tears of happiness - but in Ron's opinion she had never looked more beautiful.

As he got closer, he noticed Hermione was not alone as she held something in her arms on top of the blue silk sheets.

Hermione looked up at the sound of Ron's approaching footsteps and she smiled a smile that was so Angelic that it made Ron go weak at the knees.

"Ron" she greeted him with a smile, sounding a little breathless. "This is your baby girl" she told him as he came over to sit on the bed next to her, his jaw still hanging open like a codfish.

His daughter was every bit as stunning as her mother.

She had Ron's fiery red hair that appeared to glow in the light of the dancing fire, but unlike Ron's, it hung in small wavy curls atop her head, like her Mums.

Even her eyes were a mixture of Ron and Hermione's. They were large and blue, but if one looked closely enough, they'd be able to see the small flecks of honey brown that encompassed her iris's which were currently huge as the little girl marveled at her parents smiling faces.

Her lips curved into a smile when her eyes met Ron's, and his heart skipped a beat.

She reached out her tiny hand towards Rons face and looked at her Mum, who was still crying softly, but smiling at the same time.

"I think she wants you" Hermione said as she kissed the baby's forehead and handed her to a speechless Ron.

When his skin came into contact with his daughters for the first time a spark of electricity passed between them and Ron's startled expression changed into one of amazement as he cradled her to his chest for the first time.

There was no denying that she was going to be a Daddy's girl. The look of adoration on Ron's face was unbelievable and the little girl returned the look with a sparkle in her eyes that reminded Ron of Fred and George. Apparently she was going to be a mischievous little tyke too.

"What do you want to call her?" Ron asked, never taking his eyes off of the bundle of joy in his arms.

Hermione had already given it a lot of thought, and so when Ron asked her this, she didn't need time to think.

Thinking back over all of her happy memories from the past year, including tonight in her daughters Nursery - the answer she gave just seemed so right.

"Rose, Rose Weasley" she said confidently.

Ron looked away from the baby for the first time since laying eyes on her and smiled at his wife. He scooted over in the bed a little bit more so that he could wrap an arm around Hermiones shoulder, whilst cradling his baby girl in one arm.

He watched in amazement as Hermione extended a hand and began stroking the baby's hair, smiling the whole time.

"Rose..." he said aloud for the first time. The baby looked up at her Mum and Dad, somehow knowing that they were talking about her. Apparently she had her Mother's brains too - something Ron couldn't be happier about.

The name seemed to roll off of his tongue in the most natural way, and thinking back about everything he and Hermione had experienced in the past year - it made sense to call her that. Roses had been in every single one of Ron and Hermione's happy memories of their first year of life together, from their wedding, right up to standing in Roses nursery before Hermione went into labor.

If Roses weren't Ron's favourite flower before, then they definitely were now.

"Hello Rose, I'm your Daddy" Ron said as he kissed her forehead, both of her cheeks and then her nose - causing her to giggle. His heart melted when he saw Hermione's dimples in her cheeks when she smiled.

"And I'm your brilliant Uncle George!" came a cheery voice as he burst into the room, followed by a rather sentimental Angelina.

"T-That was b-b-beautiful" she blubbered, wiping away her tears.

It was the first time Hermione had seen Angelina cry in years, and she couldn't suppress a smirk as the hard woman infront of her was reduced to an emotional wreck.

"Good grief woman, you're an emotional roller-coaster today!" George remarked as Ginny and Harry followed little James into the room, arm in arm.

James scrambled over to the bed and clambered up the side of the sheets before Harry picked him up and sat him beside Ron and Hermione.

He looked at his cousin for the first time, not quite sure what to make of her. What was the big deal?

He pointed at her, looking to his family for an explanation.

"This is your new baby cousin James," Hermione explained as she took Rose from Ron and held her infront of James so that he could get a better look at her. "This is Rose" she told him with a smile. Ron smiled too as the lightbulb went off in the little boys head and his eyes lit up.

He grinned up at Hermione and clapped happily.

Then he did something unexpected, something that he would deny in the future when he was older. He kissed his palm and then placed it on Rose's forehead as he said "Like".

Everyone couldn't help but say 'awwww' as Mr. and Mrs. Weasley walked into the room.

"What is it? What did we miss? Oh Hermione dear! Oh Ronny! Oh she's beautiful!" gushed Mrs. Weasley as she ran over to her daughter-in-law and kissed her on the forehead.

"Your grandson just announced that he liked his new baby cousin" Ginny remarked as she grinned at her little boy who was smiling at Rose. "I just hope he's that excited about this one" she added whilst patting her belly.

It was then that Rose let out a beautiful high-pitched giggle and wriggled closer into Hermione's arms.

That was when it truly hit Ron.

He was a Dad.

Ronald Billius Weasley was actually a Dad.

That was when all of the emotion from the past couple of hours finally caught up with him and Ron's emotional range finally gave out and everything went blank.

Everyone laughed, including Hermione.

"Ofcourse, trust my husband to faint at the birth of his own daughter" she teased playfully as she nudged her husbands unconscious body on the bed next to her.

"You can't really blame him 'Mione, he does have the emotional range of a teaspoon if you remember correctly" Ginny joined in once she had finished laughing.

"Ye, maybe you'll need to take this in smaller Baby Steps than we thought!" George guffawed at the sight of his idiot brother.

Hermione looked down at her husband and then Rose in her arms and smiled. She and Ron would take this in Baby Steps. One step at a time.


	4. Epilogue: Part 1

2 and a half years later…

"Mum, you haven't seen Harry anywhere have you?" Ginny asked her mother as she reached the bottom of the stairs, taking care not to bump into anything.

Her skin was glowing with pride as she carried little baby Lily in her arms. She had only been born three weeks ago, but she was already such an energetic little monkey, not to mention incredibly clumsy – she somehow managed to roll over in her crib every night, repeatedly bumping into the wooden bars as well as dropping her doll everywhere she went.

She also took after her Godmother in the sense of being fascinated by animals – something that Luna adored.

Molly smiled at her daughter, despite the fact she was struggling to balance the plates in her arms. She couldn't help but admire the way her hair – which hung in delicate curls - bounced around her shoulders and contrasted beautifully against her white sundress – it had thin straps and was tight around her chest before poofing out at the waist in lovely cream gossamer and lace material, which Lily loved to play with as she made to grab at it for the third time. She was such a little monkey sometimes.

"No I haven't dear, perhaps if you check the Apple Orchard?" she suggested with a kind smile.

Ginny nodded and thanked Mrs. Weasley before walking through the back door and into the warm summer air.

The Burrow looked amazing on this warm Spring day, despite the fact that it was February. It was Valentine's day, and little James's 4th birthday and as such, everyone was gathering at The Burrow for his party.

Although for James, Teddy (who was now 6), Victoire (who turned 5 in May) and Roxanne (who was slightly younger than Albus, but still tagged along after her cousins) the party had already begun as they taught James how to fly on his new Junior Firebolt 2010.

Ginny smiled at Teddy and Victoire as he always kept one eye on her, making sure she didn't fall. Bill, Fleur, George and Angelina (who was rocking a tiny little Fred II in her arms – he had been born only two weeks ago) watched from the round table under one of the many trees that filled the back garden and smiled knowingly at the children.

It was clear even at this age that when they grew older, the pair would be incredibly close.

She turned left into the Apple Orchard and walked down the dirt path towards the picket-fenced area that was the orchard.

Ginny loved this place, especially today. The sun filtered through the new leaves that covered the branches of the trees and the cool green grass swayed in the gentle breeze.

Her face lit up when she creaked open the little white gate and stepped through as a familiar voice reached her ears.

"That's it Rosie! Come on, just one more step!" he encouraged, and then proceeded to cheer as Hermione joined in her husbands clapping. Ginny stepped around a tree trunk and saw Rosie stumble into her Daddy's arms.

"You're so clever Rosie! Congratulations!" he praised the giggly two year old in his arms.

Rosie had really grown _so_ much in those two years that appeared to have flown by.

The fiery red hair that had been messy and short on the night of her birth, now hung in fine ringlets down her back. Her skin was slightly tanned like Hermione's, something that surprised Ginny, considering that her and Ron's skin _refused_ to tan and instead just turned red in the sun.

Her little full, rosy cheeks had not lost their adorable dimples whenever she smiled, nor had her large eyes lost their mischievously knowing sparkle. It turns out Ron had been right on the night of her birth, she definitely was a little prankster – taking after her Uncle George and his late twin brother, who Ginny knew would be so proud of the little girl who couldn't resist using her intelligence to help her be cheeky whenever the opportunity presented itself.

She wore a sundress like Ginny's, except hers was violet with little cream embroidered flowers around the hem of the skirt. She smiled when she saw her Auntie walk up to her and kneel down, but her little forehead wrinkled as she frowned at her baby cousin.

It turns out Rosie didn't like having to share the attention.

"Well done Rosie! Auntie Ginny is very proud of you!" Ginny cooed while ruffling her niece's hair affectionately with her free hand.

"And so is Uncle Harry!" he chimed in as he too stepped around a nearby tree trunk with Albus in his arms. He looked even more like his Daddy now than he had when he had been born. "Now if only we can get _you_ walking!" he exclaimed while tickling his little boy.

"He'll get there eventually. It's just that Rosie's got her Mummy's brain! I'm telling you Hermione, she'll be running soon!" Ron announced proudly as he scooted further away from Rosie and opened his arms again. "And you want to know something else? I bet she'll be flying before Albus too!"

"Is that a challenge my friend?" Harry challenged with a smirk as he set Albus down on the grass next to Rose. The cousins were very close, and right now were playing some hand-clapping game they'd invented.

"Why yes it is Mr. Potter! Will you rise to the challenge?" Ron replied in an overly enthusiastic voice, just for show, and extended a hand towards his brother-in-law with a grin of his own.

"I think I will actually! Al may not be as naturally intelligent as Rosie, but he's a fast learner – AH HA! See?" Harry cried as Albus watched Rose stand up on her own and copied her.

He hesitated before taking a shaky step forward, but started squealing and giggling hysterically when he found that he was able to walk – just like Rose.

Ron gasped and crouched back down.

"Come on Rosie! Come to Daddy before Al gets to Harry!" he beckoned, somewhat frantically.

"Boys, tell me you're not turning your children's milestone markers into a competition! This is a big moment and should be treated as such! Rather than a bet on who's going to win the next Quidditch Game!" Hermione cried in frustration as she shifted Hugo in her arms and sat down on the cool grass beside Ginny.

"Yes, I'd rather my Son and Niece _not_ be used as tools for your amusement. Honestly, you're worse than George!" Ginny declared as she too sunk into the grass beside her Sister-in-law. However she shifted away when Lily and Hugo began poking each other in the arms and face.

Hugo was almost the exact same age as Lily, but the two were not as close as Albus and Rose. On the contrary, they couldn't stand the sight of eachother sometimes!

"Sorry" the men mumbled in unision before kneeling back down, giving eachother a sneaky smile and then proceeding to yell "Come on Albus!", "Come on Rosie!", "You can do it!", "Just a little further until you beat Albus!"

Both women sighed exasperatedly at their husband's behaviour. Deep down, they really were just the same boys from Hogwarts – just as competitive, and still as silly.

But suddenly, things changed.

Ron stopped for a second, appearing to be deep in thought, and then gasped as he turned to look at Hermione. "I just got the most horrible mental picture 'Mione" he said with wide panicked eyes.

"Ron, I thought we obliviated that memory of you walking in on George and Angelina in the store cupboard at the shop. How can you still be remembering that?" she asked with a frown. Wiping his memory clean of that particular incident had been the only way of getting him to stop screaming "my eyes are burning!". If he was going to start that up again, she might just place a permanent silencing charm on him and be done with it!

His eyes boggled and his face scrunched up in disgust.

"What are you on about 'Mione? I think I'd remember something as disgusting as _that_-" looks like Ron got to keep the ability of speech, praise Merlin. "-No, I'm on about the picture I just got of Rosie running off into the arms of some boy!"

Everyones reaction was different.

Ginny actually burst out laughing, startling Lily slightly before she too began to giggle at her Mummy's watery eyes and happy face.

"W-What are you _on_ about mate?" Harry scoffed as he fell to the ground, clutching his sides as he laughed and rolled around the grass beside Albus.

However, Hermione's frown only deepened as she tried not to roll her eyes and suppress her frustrated sigh.

"Ronald, I don't think we need to worry about that until she can properly walk and form coherent sentences" Hermione lectured as she disentangled a few of her curls from Hugo's fists.

"No I'm telling you love, this is the beginning of the end! First she starts crawling, then she's walking and then before you know it she's strutting down the aisle into the arms of some bloke! I mean look at Ginny!" he cried, thinking back to all those years he and his brothers had purposefully tried to keep Ginny away from boys.

"And what is _that_ supposed to mean?" his sister inquired, raising an eyebrow and glaring at him threateningly.

"Well Ronald now you're being a bit ridiculous. Your sister didn't marry "_some bloke_"" Hermione scoffed, letting her eyes roll and not bothering to suppress her amused smirk as she broke apart the brawl that was about ensue between the two siblings. "She married your best friend and savior of the Wizarding World" she lectured him with a crooked smile.

"And a fine bloke I hear he is too!" Harry cried, still rolling around the ground laughing while his wife gave him an adoring look. She loved it when he was happy like this.

"Ye, but knowing my luck Rosie will end up marrying a Goyle, or Merlin forbid – a _Malfoy_" he spat the last name and his nose wrinkled up in disgust.

Ginny had to laugh at that, he was every bit at protective of Rose as he and her brothers had been of her whilst growing up.

"Ronald, I thought we were taking this process of being parents in Baby Steps, not planning the 'worst-case scenarios' for the future. It's quite comical really that you're repeating your same protective behaviour from your time growing up with Ginny" Hermione said whilst chuckling at her husbands irrational behaviour.

"Well can you blame me 'Mione? I don't want my little Princess leaving us for some boy!"

"Ron-" Harry said with a sigh, finally being able to breathe as he wiped the tears from his cheeks,"- let's not spoil this happy family moment by planning worst-case scenarios ok?" he asked with a small smile as he brushed his hair out of his eyes.

"Ok fine, but my point still stands" Ron muttered as he turned back to Rose. Somehow, looking at Rose made all of his problems disappear and always made him smile.

"Come to me Rosie! Come on!" he beckoned cheerily.

But Rose just sat on the grass, her arms crossed and looking at him with a stubborn pout. Albus looked at her and copied her movements exactly.

"What the-?...Rosie come on" Ron said again, sounding a little confused as to why she wasn't moving an inch.

All of a sudden Harry started laughing as he figured out his nieces logic.

"Why are you laughing? This isn't funny, she's not walking to me anymore!" he cried in despair.

"R-Ron, you j-just told her yo-you didn't want her go-going near any boys!" Hermione chortled, clutching her sides with one hand while she held Hugo close to her chest with the other.

Ron's face crumpled up in confusion for a second and then he realized and turned back to Rose on the ground.

"Oh no sweetheart it's ok! It's ok for you to come to Daddy" he explained in a rush, determined to sort out this misunderstanding as soon as possible.

Rose frowned – she actually frowned at her Dad – and if her family hadn't seen what she did next with their own eyes, they wouldn't have believed it – Rose put her little fingers to her chin and concentrated, a pensive look in her big blue eyes.

Then she looked up and with an inquisitive look on her face turned to face her Uncle.

Ron followed her line of vision and couldn't help but laugh – she really was an intelligent little thing.

"Yes Rosie, you can go to Uncle Harry" he told her. She moved her arm again to point at somebody else, as if moving through a list of people, to which Ron gave an answer to every single one. "And George, and Bill and P- well your Uncle Percy is a bit of a pompous Prat sometimes but sure! Why not?" he asked with a shrug of his shoulders as Hermione smacked him over the back of the head.

Rose giggled at her parents, noting that her Daddy had done something naughty to get a reaction like that from her Mummy, and then turned to look at the three boys zooming around on brooms not far away.

At this one, Ron frowned.

"Well James and Albus, ofcourse you can – they're your cousins! But Teddy…well I'm still on the fence about that one. We'll cross that bridge when we come to it" he told her in a tight voice, trying to get off that topic as quickly as possible.

Apparently Rose didn't like this answer, and neither did Hermione as she rounded on her husband whilst Rose's bottom lip began to tremble and she did her best puppy-dog face – she knew exactly what to do to get what she wanted from her Daddy.

"Ronald Weasley, are you really that thick that you haven't noticed what's been going on?" Ginny demanded to know with a cocked eyebrow and a hand on her hip as she stared her brother down.

Ron only blinked at her in response.

"Ugh – Teddy and Victoire you numpty! He gave her a Valentine's present!" Hermione explained in an exasperated voice.

Ron still blinked at her and scratched his head in confusion. Merlin, the man was really dense when it came to this kind of stuff.

"Teddy and Victoire – they're in Puppy love you numbskull" Harry told him an unamused voice, now sitting bolt upright with a serious expression as he looked at his best friend. The man really was as thick as a brick - it was obvious to see what was going on!

Ron's eyes widened in surprise as he looked to the left at the little blue-haired boy helping the girl with the golden hair and the heart-shaped face get off of her broom safely.

"Oh" was all he could say as the pieces clicked into place. "Well that's alright then!" he declared and bent down once more and reassured Rose that it was ok to go near Teddy.

Rose clapped and Albus joined in too before the cousins looked at each other with a cheeky smile and stood up at the same time, just as Kreacher came skipping into the Apple Orchard.

"Master Harry! Master Harry! It is time for birthday cakes Sir! Kreacher made it himself, just for little Mr. Potter Sir!" he announced happily, his bat-like ears perked right up and his eyes glowing with excitement.

"That's brilliant Kreacher, thank you. Just give us one second though" Harry said while holding up a finger to the elf as he shuffled closer to Ron on the ground and both men extended their arms towards their children and began shouting "Come on kids!"

Copying their Father's competitiveness from before both toddlers took a step forward, their eyes sparkling with the same cheeky look as they walked towards their Daddys, determined to beat the other.

One Baby Step at a time.


	5. Epilogue: Part 2

9 years later

"Hugo, tease me _one_ more time about being in Hufflepuff and I promise – I'll make the Unbreakable Vow if I have to, I _will _Bat-Bogey hex you!" Rose threatened her brother as they emerged on the other side of the Barrier at Platform 9 ¾.

"Hugo please stop teasing your sister, you know how much being Sorted into Ravenclaw is for her" Hermione lectured in a motherly tone as she and Ron followed their bickering children.

This had been going on since they had left the cottage – and it hadn't stopped.

"Alright you lot?" somebody greeted to their right and they turned to smile at the Potters as they appeared through the thick steam that engulfed the platform.

In the light of the sun that streamed through the glass roof that the owls were flying under, Hermione could see the glistening tears on Ginny's cheek – she knew how sad it was for Ginny to send her second son off to Hogwarts.

"Oh dear" Harry remarked as he took in the bickering Rose and Hugo Weasley. "Is he _still_ teasing her about being Sorted into Hufflepuff?" Harry asked disbelievingly. Hugo had a Death Wish if he was still keeping that up, Harry had seen first-hand the damage Rose's Bat-Bogey hex could do. It was as good as Ginny's was, and that's saying something.

"Unfortunately" Hermione replied whilst pursing her lips at her children. Honestly, couldn't they get along for just one second?

"Ah don't worry about it, Albus here went through the same thing with James didn't you mate? Except that was about being Sorted into Slytherin" Harry told his brother and sister-in-law.

"Oh and I can't _wait_ to see the look on his face when it happens!" James chirped as he appeared from nowhere, grabbing his brother in a headlock and ruffling his hair.

"James stop! Jam-JAMES! I'm NOT going to be in Slytherin! I'm NOT!" Albus whined as James laughed at his brother's antics. It never failed to amuse him how his brother couldn't take a joke.

"James cut it out _now_. And let your brother go. Headmistress McGonagall is expecting him at the Sorting Ceremony and he has to be conscious" Ginny scolded her eldest son as she saw her other one turn blue in the face from lack of oxygen.

He released him, as his mother had told him to do, and muttered a "sorry" at his Mother's scowling gaze before Harry took Albus to the side and appeared to be discussing something serious with him.

"How do you _do_ that?" Hermione asked in disbelief as she saw James – the troublemaker – succumb to his Mother's request instantly and actually bow his head in shame. "I wish I could do that with them, I've been trying to get them to stop fighting since we left the house!" Hermione sighed in defeat as she looked over her shoulder to see that her children had now advanced to shoving each other and poking one another in the arms as they quarreled.

"Shut it!" Ginny yelled, and smirked when the two red-headed children stopped immediately and ran over to their parents. "Done" she told Hermione and Ron with a smug smile as she chuckled at their open-mouthed expressions.

It was truly a miracle getting Rose and Hugo to stop bickering. It reminded Ron and Hermione of themselves when they were younger, except Ron and Hermione had never resorted to punching matches at the Dinner table or any other time.

"Sorry Mum, sorry Dad" the siblings mumbled in unison, nudging eachother roughly in the arms as they stood side by side.

Hermione smiled and kneeled down in front of Rose, just as Harry was doing to Albus a few feet away. Little did she know, both were giving the same sort of speeches to their children.

"It's alright my lovely, I know you're stressed about being Sorted into Ravenclaw, but know this: the Sorting Hat will _always_ take your wishes into consideration. And know that your Dad and I will be proud of you no matter what House you're sorted into" Hermione assured her daughter in an affectione tone as she stroked her rosy cheeks and tucked her curls behind her ears with a smile.

"Really?" Rose asked, starting to feel better.

"Really love, we-"

"Well not 'really' Hermione come on, you know we'll both go nuts if she's put into Slytherin" Ron scoffed.

Hermione glared up at her husband.

"Oh brilliant Ron, just what to say to make our daughter feel better! I'll have you know that those kind of prejudice's after the War are completely ridiculous and further more it–"

"Who's that?" Rose interrupted her parents as she caught a flash of icy-blonde out of the corner of her eyes.

The steam appeared to dissipate and the families along the platform began to part, to reveal the most breath-taking boy Rose had ever seen standing next to the train.

His pale-blonde hair glinted in the light of the sun and had Rose not felt the ground beneath her feet, she'd swear that she was dreaming. The boy looked far too Angelic to be real.

His hair was swept to the side and swayed slightly as the wind brushed past him, blowing some of it into his eyes – oh Merlin! Those eyes! They were as cold and as blue as ice, but appeared to burn with a strange emotion when his eyes met Rose's from across the platform.

His skin resembled the finest Porcelain and actually glowed in the suns rays.

If Rose didn't have a Veela for an Aunt, and two half-Veela cousins she'd automatically assume that he was a Veela too. But that would be ridiculous. Even Veelas aren't as magnificent as that.

'Yep, the boy's positively drop-dead gorgeous' Rose concluded in her head as she could only gaze at the boy, and he could only gaze back at her.

Ron followed his daughter's line of sight and his eyes narrowed when he saw the two individuals that could only be _his_ parents standing before him, giving him a hug and a kiss goodbye.

"Oh so that must be little Scorpius eh?" he remarked as he folded his arms in an authoritative gesture.

"Tell me you haven't been using your status as an accomplished Auror to go snooping through the Ministry registry?" Hermione pleaded.

"It never hurts to keep tabs on the enemy" he countered defensively.

"The enemy" Hermione scoffed. She noted the way that her daughter was looking at the boy and a smile tugged at the corners of her lips. Oh wow – this was going to be interesting. "You know Rosie, I think he seems a nice boy" she hinted subtly. It didn't go unmissed by Rose who turned back to look at her mother and grinned back.

"Not bloody likely!" Ron interjected quickly, much to everyone else's amusement as Ginny smacked her palm to her forehead and shook her head while James, Hugo, Lily and Hermione joined in. Ron could be such a fun-sponge when he wanted to be. "I want you to beat him in every test Rosie" he told his daughter with a finger pointed towards the boy who had turned away as he said goodbye to his parents one last time before boarding the train.

"That might be a bit hard if I'm in the same House Dad – oh I hope I am!" she said aloud, and then clamped her hands over her mouth when she realized what she said.

"Oh Rosie's got a crush, Rosie's got a crush, Rosie's got a-"

"Your face will be getting crushed if you don't shut up!" Rose threatened her brother, who only laughed at her blushing face.

"Oh Hugo, Rose, stop joking around! Although I'll admit Rose that was a good joke, wanting to be in the same House as a Malfoy! Can you imagine?" Ron exclaimed whilst laughing loudly – completely misunderstanding the situation causing everyone to gape at him.

"Are you serious?" Hugo asked, somewhat disappointed that his Dad hadn't picked up on Rose's little slip-up. He was quite hoping _she_ would be the one getting hexed after that little remark!

"Errr-"

The final whistle ran through the air, just in time to save Rose from this awkward family moment.

She ran over to her Mum, Dad, Aunt and Uncle (who had returned with Albus just in time to stare open-mouthed at Ron's obvious lack of intelligence) and kissed them all on the cheek before waving "Bye!" and disappearing with James and Albus into the crowd of students boarding the train.

As she turned back to wave at her little cousin Lily, who was sad at not being able to go to Hogwarts that year, and her brother, who was sad for an entirely different reason, her eyes began scanning the crowd of students boarding the train for a head of blonde hair.

That's when Ron finally got up to speed with the situation and gasped.

He had seen the look that Rose gave the boy before.

It was the same look that Teddy gave Victoire!

The same look that Harry gave Ginny!

The same look that Ron gave Hermi-

Oh no.

"Wait! I've got to stop that train!" he cried as he stepped forward, determined to catch the train before it pulled out of the station.

Hermione grabbed her husband's arm and gripped it tightly, stopping him with a smile.

"Calm down love – remember what we said?"

Ron looked frantically between his wife and the train. His wife, the train. His wife, the train – before turning back to look one last time and get a final glimpse of Rose's smiling face as she hung out of the window with her cousins, waving goodbye to them all.

A watery smile formed on Ron's face and he wrapped an arm around Hermione's waist for support.

It was official – his little girl wasn't so little anymore. She had just left home for the first time to begin an amazing journey at the place he had called home for so many amazing years.

Granted, he wasn't thrilled that she had apparently taken a liking to the Malfoy boy, but he remembered what he and Hermione always said.

Whatever life threw at them, they would take it one step at a time, together.

In Baby Steps.


End file.
